Mr. Nick Fuller serves as the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Management, leading the organization that oversees FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS), which proactively identifies hazards in the National Airspace System (NAS) and mitigates risk before incidents occur. He is the principal advisor to the FAA Administrator on matters related to safety oversight and safety risk management, ensuring the vision of the Safety pillar of Flight Plan 2026 is fulfilled.

Aviation Safety Management leads the agency-wide SMS through coordination with each organization and unification of safety management activities, including the development of safety risk policy, facilitation of safety risk management panels, safety assurance, and delivery of safety culture training.

Before assuming the role of Associate Administrator, Mr. Fuller was the Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO) for the air navigation service provider and operational arm of the Agency: Air Traffic Organization (ATO). As DCOO, he provided executive leadership and direction to the four operational service units within the ATO: Air Traffic Services, Flight Program Operations, System Operations, and Technical Operations.

Mr. Fuller joined the FAA in 2000, and his 26-year career spans across numerous executive roles including Vice President and Deputy Vice President of ATO’s Safety and Technical Training where he spearheaded efforts to increase runway and surface safety through reporting, data collection, education, and assessment. His leadership was instrumental in identifying and mitigating risk in the NAS, including event investigations, data analysis, corrective actions, and training for over 14,000 air traffic controllers and more than 6,000 airway transportation system specialists. Through his efforts, Mr. Fuller helped foster a positive safety culture within the NAS.

As Executive Director of the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service (AOV), he led the risk-based, data-driven oversight of air navigation services and served as the principal agency advisor to the FAA Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety on all ATO safety-related matters. His work has involved high-level interactions with national and international officials, as well as key stakeholders such as Congress, the Department of Defense, and other federal and aviation organizations.

Mr. Fuller’s background also includes serving as Deputy Director for Central Service Area (CSA) Air Traffic Operations and a variety of significant leadership roles, including Event Investigation Manager, Level 12 Air Traffic Control (ATC) Operations Manager, Quality Assurance Team Lead, and Air Traffic Safety Action Program Lead Analyst.

Mr. Fuller is also a veteran of the United States Navy, where he served as an Air Traffic Control Specialist for four years. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society and holds certifications in the Management of Aviation Systems.